Biological Weapon
by Empress Akitla
Summary: The Black Raptor is a top secret ship that runs back and forth to an island off the west cost of Africa. When the crew members are murdered, NCIS is called in to investigate and are stuck on the ship for two days. Only problem is, the weapon never left...
1. Mass Murder

**Note: Yeah, this is gonna be awesome. :P**

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* * *

**A large Naval Ship sliced through the rough waters of the Atlantic. Fog encompassed it, no crew was on the deck, and it was quiet except for the sound of the surf. The ship was a dull gray, with the words 'Black Raptor' painted on its sides.

The third level down housed the crew and scientific laboratories. Since it was such a foggy day, the crew stayed down below playing cards and such. The two scientists that had decided to work today had remained in the lab, only coming out for lunch.

In a relatively small room that had a table, a few chairs, and a microwave, five crew members sat, playing a rather boring poker game.

"I'll be glad once I get off this ship," one of the men said laying down his cards and leaning back. "Flush."

The other men grumbled to his victory and slapped down their cards. An Asian man picked up the cards and started shuffling them, ready for the next game. Anything to distract them from the thought of another two days on the ship.

"Man, that island was somethin' else, though," the Asian man commented, dealing the cards out with a smooth hand.

"I've never seen so much security around a base in the middle of a giant fenced-in jungle." A short, stout man answered as he picked up his cards.

"And all the fences were electric with twenty thousand volts," the Asian man raised an eyebrow. "Why would they need that kind of security?"

"Beats me," a tall, gangly man squinted at his cards.

* * *

A black man with a bald head walked down the corridors of the ship, bringing a clipboard to the lab. One of the scientists left it in the lunchroom and had called, requesting it be brought to them immediately. Those two lab people hated to leave their posts…

A crash down the hall made the Petty Officer charge down towards the lab. The door was slightly ajar, which was unusual, considering it was always locked. He, being called John, noticed that the small control panel next to the door was ripped to shreds. John pushed opened the door and pulled out his boot knife, aiming it in no particular direction.

"Nate, where are you?" John walked forward into the lab, stepping over the beakers and pieces of shattered glass on the white tile floor. The further he got, the worse it looked.

Tremors passed through him as he saw what used to be Nate. Or at least it had his same fiery red hair. The muscles had been shredded, exposing white bone beneath whatever was left. John turned his head away, feeling sick. A more twisted vision appeared in his line of sight. The still body of Sandra, the other scientist, was on the other side of the lab. Her ribcage was crushed, broken ribs sticking up through almost completely black and blue flesh. The woman's face was gone, leaving an exposed skull.

"Oh God," John braced himself on a table and unclipped his radio from his belt. "Lieutenant Watson, there's an emergency…" John turned his head to look back behind him. He dropped his radio to the floor.

Two golden eyes with green flecks in them stared back.

"It got off the island," he whispered.

A bloodcurdling scream echoed throughout the ship, bringing all the crew to the labs. There they found the broken body of John Horton sprawled on the now blood red tiles. Two green flecked golden eyes stared back at them.

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**Please remember to R&R! It makes me happy! :)**


	2. The Black Raptor

**Note: Yay! Chapter two is big! Sorta... I hope I kept all of the characters in their personalities okay. :)**

* * *

Another wad of paper bounced off Tim's desk, joining the others surrounding his trashcan. Rolling his eyes, the computer techie continued to type.

"You know Tony, you do have your own trashcan," Tim said, squinting at his computer.

"I prefer throwin' them in your trash, McGee," Tony chuckled, tossing another wad in the general direction of his workmate.

"Here are your burritos," Ziva called as she stepped out of the elevator, making her way to the bullpen. She tossed both boys a breakfast burrito wrapped up in tinfoil and sat at her own desk. Fresh spots of rain speckled her NCIS jacket.

"Did it rain?" Tony asked, taking a monstrous bite of the burrito.

"It was starting to," Ziva answered and flicked on her computer.

* * *

Gibbs walked out of MTAC, clearly annoyed that his new assignment would send his team out onto the rough Atlantic. It just made it worse that one of his agents got sea sick.

"Gear up," Gibbs walked behind his desk and scribbled directions onto a piece of scrap paper. "We're goin' out on a ship."

He heard the different responses from his team. Tim groaned, Tony asked if it'd be like the Chimera, and Ziva wanted to know more about the case.

"You'll be briefed on the flight out there," Gibbs picked up his jacket and shrugged it on. "You have one hour to gather your stuff and meet back here."

One hour had come and gone. They were at the military base, preparing for the helicopter ride out to the ship. Everyone kept having déjà vu of the time they went on the Chimera and got the fright of their life.

"What is the name of the ship?" Ziva questioned, fastening on her helmet.

"The Black Raptor," a Naval officer answered, securing his own helmet. "Not allowed to tell you much else, ma'am."

"Never heard of it," Gibbs grumbled, slinging his bag on his shoulder.

"And it should've stayed that way, sir," the officer lead them out to the helipad, where a helicopter was waiting. "Watch your step."

* * *

The start of the ride was fine, but when they got out over open waters, it got rough. Everyone was hanging onto their seats with white knuckles, except Gibbs who appeared to not even notice the turbulence.

"A little nervous there DiNozzo?" Gibbs smirked at his senior field agent.

"I'm good, Boss," Tony bared his teeth in a half-hearted grin and gripped his seat tighter as the helicopter bounced.

"How much longer until we are there, Gibbs?" Ziva asked, shouting to be heard.

"There it is," the silver haired man pointed down to the fog covered waves. A large ship was visible, plowing through the fifteen foot swells.

* * *

"Well, there goes our only ride home," Tony snorted, turning away from the quickly fleeing helicopter.

"Suck it up, DiNozzo," Gibbs took the lead, trying to find the quickest way to get out of the freezing Atlantic winds. There was a door that was slightly cracked open. "C'mon guys."

"Jethro, this place looks completely deserted," Ducky noted, following the silver haired man. "Reminds me of our time on the Chimera."

"That was horrible," Tony notably shivered. He remembered getting scared out of his life on that ship.

Tim braced himself on the walls of the hallway. His stomach was already protesting, threatening to make him spew his breakfast burrito. _Good thing I brought lots of meclizine, _the young agent thought and wondered if it was going to help any. He had been bad on the Chimera, and it wasn't even moving. _And this ship is plowing full force through huge swells. _Tim shook his head, following Ziva who was in front of him. _Wait, if this ship is moving…_

"Boss, there has to be someone on board to pilot the ship," Tim spoke up, his voice sounding a little nauseated.

"You think, McObvious?" Tony teased, and then realized he was right. "So then this ship can't be completely deserted, can it?"

"Unless it's on autopilot," Ziva suggested, turning a sharp corner to keep up with Gibbs.

"Can this large of a ship be put on autopilot?" Tony raised an eyebrow, waiting for an answer either from Ducky or Gibbs.

"It's going too fast to be on autopilot, Anthony," Ducky answered. "Someone must still be here."

"This'll do for a bunk," Gibbs pushed opened a door. There were six bunks, a cubby for bags, and another door that presumably lead to a bathroom. He took off his helmet and tossed it onto a bottom bunk he was claiming as his. "We're going to do a sweep of the ship in five minutes, so get settled in fast."

Tim's stomach couldn't hold it anymore. He threw down his bag and helmet and locked himself in the bathroom, grateful that it was so close.

"Isn't sad that Probie's stomach can't get used to the sea?" Tony snickered as he set his helmet on his bag, and claimed a top bunk as his.

"And I assume that your stomach got used to it over night?" Ziva sneered, taking her hair out of her ponytail and redoing it tighter after she removed her helmet.

"It did, actually," Tony replied, tucking an arm behind his head and closing his eyes.

"It is a shame really, that Timothy can't handle the high seas," Ducky sighed and took off his helmet as well. He took off his glasses and used a handkerchief to clean the spots off of them. "Where did Jethro go?"

"I believe he walked a little further down the hall," Ziva answered and shrugged her coat off.

"Ah," Ducky laid his bag on a lower bunk, leaving it to Ziva and Tim to decide who slept on the last bottom bunk.

Tim reappeared from the bathroom, dark circles under his eyes. Man, he hated being on the sea. _I'll be lucky if I last the rest of the time here, _Tim thought and rubbed his eyes. He did feel a little better though, now that he had nothing to barf up.

"McGee, you can have the bottom bunk," Ziva looked at her partner sympathetically and tossed her bag on the bunk above Gibbs' bunk.

"Thanks Ziva," Tim said appreciatively and moved his bag from the floor to the bunk.

"C'mon team," Gibbs appeared in the door way and called for the rest of his team. "This ship is pretty big." His crystal blue eyes spotted Tony about ready to fall asleep on the bunk above Ducky's. "Move your hind end now, DiNozzo!"

"I'm on it, Boss!" Tony rolled over and landed with a thud on his feet, luckily.

After rolling his eyes at his senior field agent, he spoke. "We'll split up into two teams. McGee and Ziva, you take the stern and DiNozzo, Ducky, and I'll take the bow."

Ziva nodded after shoving a magazine into her SIG. Tim holstered his gun and followed the Israeli woman out the door and to the right. Gibbs and the other two went to the left.

"You think it's a good idea we split up, Jethro?" Ducky questioned.

"This ship would've never gotten searched if we didn't," Gibbs replied. _But I hate to split the team on this ship, _he thought bitterly. _My gut says this place is bad. Or hinky._

The corridors had doors left and right, mostly just store rooms and crew quarters. Everything was a drab gray or tan, with letters and numbers stenciled in black here and there.

"Whoa!" Tony pulled up short as they rounded a corner and waved his hand in front of his nose. "I smell something dead!"

* * *

The stern of the ship was quiet, except for the occasional creaking. Tim was in the lead with Ziva hot on his heels. They both had their guns drawn, just in case someone popped out of a door. It had been ten minutes since they split up and Tim was already getting a little winded.

"Let's stop for a sec," Tim leaned against one of the cool walls of the hallway, letting his eyes flutter shut.

Ziva paused for a moment. _He does not tire this quickly,_ she thought._ It is because of his seasickness,_ the answer became clear as Ziva thought about it.

"Are you getting sick again?" Ziva asked as she leaned next to him.

"A little," Tim replied and opened his eyes. "I'm fine though. I have nothing in my stomach to spew."

"You are ready to go then, yes?" Ziva stood up straight again and started to walk down the corridor. Tim followed after her.

* * *

"Where is that smell coming from?" Gibbs had smelled a lot of bad things, but this was horrible. He covered his nose with his arm and plowed ahead, keeping his gun at the ready.

The smell was coming from a metal door that was partly open. Gibbs signaled for Tony to get on the other side of the door. When his agent was in position, he pulled the door open and aimed his SIG.

"Oh my God," Tony gagged and closed his eyes and shielded his nose and mouth.

Broken, torn, and shredded bodies of barely recognizable crew members littered the floor. Dried blood stained the once white tiles almost black. Lab equipment and shattered glass lay haphazardly on the floor. A mass murder had taken place.

"Oh my," Ducky whispered.

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**Please remember to R&R! Thanks! Oh, and do any of you know whether Tim's right handed or left handed? :P**


	3. A Beastly Murderer

**Woo! Chapter 3! It's been a while hasn't it guys? Well, I've got a break from school and guess what! That means I get to work on my stories! Yay me!**

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* * *

**"Ducky, what killed these guys?" Gibbs questioned, bracing himself on his knees as the elderly ME worked.

"That's hard to say, Jethro," Ducky slid his gloved fingers along a series of deep wounds down a young man's chest. "These look like they were caused by a scythe or something of the sort."

"So we have Old Farmer Joe gone mad on the ship?" Tony raised an eyebrow and turned back to Tim typing on the computer. "Can you get a hold of Abby?"

"The signal's much weaker than what it should be," Tim answered and ran his fingers through his caramel brown hair. "But I think I can get her."

Ziva glanced at the computer screen as a box appeared with Abby's lab in it. The Goth was waving at the camera. The quality wasn't the best but it would do.

"Hey guys! What's going on?" Abby asked in her usual cheery tone.

"There was a mass murder on the ship," Tony answered. "We're sending what information we have to you right now."

"How many dead?" Abby turned her back to the camera so she could bring up her newly received information.

"Sixty seven," Gibbs stood behind Tony and Tim, leaning down to see the screen.

"Holy crap! Were they all killed at once?" Abby's eyes went wide as she turned back to the camera.

"That appears to be the case," Ziva replied. "No bullet wounds though."

"They all appear to have died from blood loss, broken necks and ribcages, or deep lacerations to their necks or chests." Ducky stood up slowly from the body on the floor. "It makes me wonder what killed all these poor fellows."

"Is anybody alive on the ship?" Abby scrunched up her eyebrows at the streams of data on her computer screens.

"There has to be." Tony rubbed his hand over his face. "We're going full force back to the states."

"And there's no way there was only sixty seven crew members," Tim added. "So, what do you make of the info?"

"You'll have to give me some time, Timmy," Abby said as she paced her lab. "Already some of the data doesn't make sense. But give me some time and I'll get back with you."

Gibbs sighed as the box disappeared. _This doesn't feel right. This feels too hinky, _he thought as he paced the small room they had decided to use for autopsy for now. They needed to find whoever was still alive on this ship. They would definitely know what was going on.

"McGee, Ziva, and I will see if we find anything else. DiNozzo, you keep an eye on Ducky," Gibbs directed as he disappeared out the door.

* * *

"This ship seemed smaller on the outside," Tim murmured as he and Ziva followed their boss through the seemingly never ending maze of corridors. By now he and Ziva would've gotten lost but Gibbs seemed to know exactly where they were going.

There was a tiny pitter patter of feet above their heads. Instantly Tim and Ziva looked up. A small rodent face looked down at them and continued on. Gibbs seemed to have known it was only a rat.

"C'mon guys, this ship ain't gonna search itself," Gibbs turned a corner, Ziva on his heels.

Tim followed suit, keeping both of his team member in sight. They stopped for a second, catching their breath. They'd been going over this ship for an hour, and still they'd found nothing.

"How does a crew of three hundred minus sixty seven just disappear?" Gibbs snarled more to himself than at his partners.

"The lifeboats are not missing," Ziva noted and started to pace the hall, thinking as well.

Tim thought as well and leaned back against the wall. His hand touched something wet and sticky. The sensation was not pleasant. _That's just gross, _Tim quickly pulled his hand away. His fingertips were stained dark red.

"Boss, there's blood," he stated and moved so he could look at the spot better.

There's was a bloody smear on the wall as if something or someone had brushed up against it with a bleeding wound. This was fresh, too. It wasn't over six hours old. Simultaneously all three agents looked down. Sure enough, there was a faint blood smear on the floor that lead off down the hall. Someone hadn't brushed up against the wall, they'd been drug. Tim took out a small light he kept with him and looked at the smear on the wall closer. There was a faint outline of a handprint that looked as if someone had tried to grab onto the wall for leverage.

"We should follow the trail, perhaps whatever's at the end will give us some answers," Ziva took the lead with her SIG at the ready.

* * *

"So Ducky, you got anything?" Tony asked as he sat on a pile of crates.

"You know what, I believe I do, my dear boy," Ducky signaled for the senior field agent to come over to him. "See here, this young woman's ribcage is totally crushed in."

Tony didn't dare look at the woman's head. Her face was completely devoid of flesh but still had a brown eye that stared out into nothingness.

"Yeah Ducky, I noticed that," Tony turned his head away.

"This woman died because something kicked her. One of her ribs punctured her left atrium." Ducky said, waiting for a reply. He was satisfied when Tony raised an eyebrow.

"Who could do that kind of damage with a kick?" Tony asked quietly.

"I'm thinking more along the lines of a what," the elderly M.E. corrected. "You see this faint outline where she was kicked? That would be a foot."

"To Goliath, maybe," Tony's eyes went wide. "So does that mean….?"

"Yes." Ducky nodded subtly. "There's something on this ship."

* * *

"There's no way this person is still alive," Tim whispered. "There's too much blood. He would've died of blood loss by now."

"Maybe the person dragging him is also injured," Ziva suggested.

Gibbs paused at a metal door that was barely cracked open. The blood smears lead through it. He thrust his arm in front of Tim before the younger agent pushed the door open.

"Shush," Gibbs warned as his team took up positions on either side of the door.

They listened, not hearing anything for about a minute. Gibbs leaned over a little, just enough to see through the crack into the cargo bay.

"Please…..don't hurt me!" came the quiet yet desperate cry.

Ziva gripped her SIG tighter, having heard the plea. She looked at her boss and said, "Gibbs, we have to help that man."

"Something's not right," Gibbs held her back with his arm, waiting for something else to happen.

The man screamed a bloodcurdling cry and it was met with a cry of something that shook the agents to their cores.

"No!" the man inside the cargo bay jumped at the door frame, gripping it with two bloody hands. "Please…...somebody…."

His cry was cut short as a massive force yanked him back. The three agents held their breaths as there were the crunching and cracking sounds of bones being broken.

Gibbs looked over at Tim, seeing how wide his eyes were and how shaky his breath was. He glanced next to him. He could feel Ziva shaking.

Through the cracked open door their ears picked up the noises of something breathing. The breaths were interrupted with a snort and a rough grumble of some type of creature.

"We have to go, now!" Ziva whispered, her voice quaking with the rest of her body.

All three agents froze solid as the breathing suddenly became much closer to the door. There was a low bird-like sound followed by a sharp clicking of something sharp against metal.

"Run, now!" Gibbs took off like a bullet, followed closely by his two agents.

* * *

Ducky and Tony jolted as they heard a shrill yet gravelly eagle-like screech. It was followed by a series of shots fired from the three agents' SIGs.

"Oh my God," Tony whispered and cocked his gun, ready to kill if necessary.

* * *

The thing that was chasing them was no more than a shadow. It'd dart down one corridor only to appear in another one a little too late. The ferocious snaps, snarls, and growls put the agents' nerves on end as they were chased.

"Wait! Hold it, I think we lost it," Ziva shouted, coming to a halt.

The two males halted as well and rejoined their teammate. Tim looked pretty frazzled and Gibbs looked no better.

"What is that thing?" Gibbs demanded, not necessarily asking his team but no one in particular.

"I have no idea," Ziva shrugged, huffing as she caught her breath.

"It's a friggin big bird," Tim sighed and leaned on the wall.

Ziva looked around at their surroundings. They had gone down two flights of stairs and taken so many turns she'd lost count.

"Where are we?" Ziva asked, her voice evening out.

"The stern of the ship," Gibbs answered quietly. "We have to get back to Ducky and DiNozzo."

There was a crackling as the radio clipped on the older man's waist came to life. He plucked it off and held down the button.

"We're here Duck," he said.

"Jethro, we've been trying to get a hold of you," Ducky sounded deeply worried. "We heard the shots and the creature. That's what killed all of our sailors."

"We're heading back up to autopsy. Keep your door locked 'til we get there," Gibbs reattached the radio back to his belt and started to navigate forward, his two team members attached to him like Velcro.

Three humans walked down the corridors of the ship. The creature's golden, green flecked eyes flicked back and forth, watching them intently. Silently it followed, its claws clicking softly on the metal grating that made the floor.

"Stop," Gibbs signaled for his agents to stop walking and listen.

The soft clicking of something sharp on metal was following them.

There was a soft growl before the thing lunged forward, the claws on its primal arms slashing out. The corridors may have been poorly lit, but you could definitely tell this creature was not to be messed with.

It stood a little taller than six feet though it had to be at least sixteen feet long. The creature was bipedal, standing on two sturdy yet elegant feet with three toes and a dewclaw on each foot.

"Run!" Ziva shouted as the beast lunged again, raking its claws through the air, barely missing the Israeli.

The chase was on again. All the agents feared, though, that the creature had the advantage this time. It was fast, terrifyingly fast. As it bumped into the walls as they turned sharp corners it snapped at whatever agent had fallen behind.

Gibbs turned a sharp corner with his agents following suite. He stopped when he realized he'd run underneath a door that could slide down and seal off the corridors.

"McGee, help me!" Gibbs ordered as the young agent helped push on the lever. The two let out a satisfied sigh as the door slammed shut.

There was a violent thud as the beast slammed into the door. They heard what must've been the creature's own curses, sounding like irritated bird clicks and chirps.

"We have to get back up to Tony and Ducky," Ziva panted.

"Come on, let's go," Gibbs started to lead the way when something reached his ears that should have never happened.

There was a rustling in the ceiling of the corridor. Metal was being bent and moved, sounding like quiet claps of thunder.

"Aw crap," Gibbs growled and got ready to shoot his SIG.

A part of the ceiling fell as did the creature. It stood up and shook dust from its fur-like feathers. Without wasting a moment it lunged at the woman of the three.

Tim didn't waste a moment either. He shoved Ziva out of the way, putting himself in the direct line of the creature's attack. A shot rang out and blood splattered against the wall as the bullet Gibbs had just fired hit its mark.

The beast swung its head, blood splattering from the deep score beneath its right eye. It missed Tim just barely with its scythe-like claw on its foot. Instead it slashed out blindly, snarling when the claws on its arms met flesh.

"McGee!" Ziva screamed when her partner's pained cry reached her ears. She aimed her SIG at the beast's chest and fired. The bullet hit it with a dull thud.

It glanced at the two still standing humans. The creature leapt over the one laying on the floor and dashed between the other two, disappearing down the long corridor.

"McGee, speak to me!" Gibbs kneeled down by the younger man.

The young agent released his hand that was clutching his right forearm. Three deep cuts ran across it, dripping blood which was pooling onto the floor.

"Tim…" Ziva whispered and sat behind the agent, supporting him in an upright position.

"What…is that thing?" Tim asked and clenched his teeth as his boss made a make shift tourniquet out of a piece of his jacket.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing," Gibbs wrapped Tim's good arm around his shoulders and lifted him up. "You good to walk?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Tim started following his the silver haired man as he lead them back through the twisting and winding corridors.

"McGee, you are not looking well," Ziva noted her partner's pale face and sunken eyes.

"Well, I did just kind of save you in effect almost getting myself killed," Tim replied with a small smile. "Plus, I think I'm getting seasick again."

* * *

**Don't forget to R&R! It makes me want to write more! Thanks for reading! :)**


	4. A Long Night

**Yay! Chapter 4! It's been a while hasn't it? Well I'm sorry because I haven't had time to work on my most favorite story with school and then getting preoccupied with a few other stories. Sorry, but please enjoy this small chapter!**

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* * *

**"Jeez, McGee what happened to you?" Tony questioned as the three agents came in through the door.

Tim gave his partner a slight glare of annoyance as he unwrapped the makeshift bandage around his arm. Ducky had brought medical supplies aboard for the living, just in case an accident happened. The young agent just hoped that this was no more serious than just a few scratches and didn't turn into some deadly infection.

"Timothy, what happened?" Ducky's eyes went wide as Tim sat on his bunk and cradled his wounded arm.

"That creature tried to attack me and McGee stepped in its path," Ziva answered for her partner. She looked down as she shoved a magazine into her SIG and said, "He took a bullet for me, so to speak."

"I'll see what I can do for you, my boy," Ducky pulled his medical case closer to the bunk as he kneeled down and gently took Tim's arm in his hands. He examined the wounds as carefully as possible, cringing slightly as pained gasps escaped the young agent from time to time. "Well, my initial findings tell me that no major arteries were nicked nor any tendons severed. You just have some severe scratches. I'll put some ointment on it to keep infection out then wrap it up. I'd suggest taking some aspirin for the pain and swelling."

"Thanks, Ducky," Tim sighed in relief as the elderly M.E. informed him he didn't do any serious damage. He'd have some pretty scars after this, though.

"What was that thing?" Tony looked from the M.E. and his partner to his boss. "We heard it from here."

"I have no idea but even Ziva and I putting two bullets in it didn't kill it," Gibbs answered as he ran his fingers through his silver hair. _My whole team's going to get killed if we don't find out what's going on_, he grumbled in his head bitterly.

"Let's call Abby and see what she's found out from the data," Ducky suggested as he stood up from the floor. "Perhaps she'll have some answers as to what's going on."

Tim pulled out his laptop with his good arm and set it on his lap. He could work effectively with one arm which was good since this happened. Soon a pixilated box of Abby's lab appeared on the screen and the other agents along with Ducky crowded around the small computer.

"Hey, guys!" Abby smiled broadly as she waved at the camera mounted in her lab. Her cheer came to an abrupt halt as she spied Tim's bandaged arm. "Timmy, what happened?"

"There's some type of creature on the ship," Tim grumbled as he tilted the screen on his computer back. "We found out the hard way."

"Jeez, have any idea what it was?" the Goth asked as she turned her back to them to type on the computers before her.

"It was big, nearly six feet tall and looked like a…oh what do you call it?" Ziva looked at Tony when she couldn't peg the name of the creature she was thinking of.

"I didn't see it," Tony said, raising his hands up in a defense posture.

"It's on that movie, where they're stuck on the island with all the giant lizards," Ziva said, trying to trigger some kind of recognition in her partner. When her first attempt didn't work she tried again. "It had the old man with the bug in the sap on his cane. They used toad DNA to complete the DNA structure from the blood in bugs stuck in the sap."

"Oh, you mean 'Jurassic Park'," Tony said and smiled as he got a positive look from Ziva. "What dinosaur are you thinking of?"

"Those really smart ones," Ziva replied as she cupped her forehead in her hand and thought. "The ones with the giant claws on their feet."

"Are you talking about a Velociraptor?" Abby turned back to the camera, bewilderment written all over her face.

"Yeah, those ones," Ziva pointed at the screen as Abby finally said the creature's name that she had been thinking of all along.

"But Velociraptors were in reality only about two to three feet tall," Abby pointed out as she crossed her arms across her chest and started to pace.

"I think that an Utahraptor would be a more likely description," Tim added in. He jumped a little when the Goth snapped her fingers and turned on her heel back to her computers.

"Tell me if this resembles it," Abby typed furiously, her fingers flying over her keyboard. She waited for a few seconds for her partners to receive the image she had just sent.

Tim clicked on the box that appeared on the screen and enlarged the picture. The similarities to the creature on the computer screen and the one they had run into was frightening. They matched almost perfectly.

"Yeah, Abs, that's it," Gibbs replied as the young agent clicked out of the image and returned to the box with the Goth's lab in it.

"I think you have a major problem on your hands, guys," Abby frowned and pulled up some information on her computers. "But it makes since to me now that I know that there's a mass murdering creature on the ship. The DNA you sent to me that was collected from the bodies was human mostly but there was some saliva that kept giving me something crossed between a bird of prey and a lizard."

"Well it sure looked like a bird with all those feathers on it," Tim shrugged his shoulders.

"You guys have to promise me you'll get a picture of it before you kill it or get off that ship," Abby nodded fiercely as she ordered her partners to make her dream come true by taking a picture of a supposedly extinct creature.

"Let's hope it doesn't kill us first, Abs," Gibbs said as the box disappeared and Tim shut down his laptop.

* * *

Everyone was tired that night. They had secured the door shut and the agents had their guns ready to fire and very close. Tony slept with his SIG under his pillow. Even though the thought of a creature running wild kept them awake at first, one by one they fell into a restless sleep.

Tim was careful of his arm, even in his light sleep. The creature that his mind kept projecting behind his eyelids was frightening. His mind had no need to exaggerate it, the beast was terrifying enough.

Rolling onto his left side, the young agent buried his head into his pillow as his mind started to replay the snorts and rough breathing of the creature in his ears. Images of the beast when it attacked him danced in his skull, adding to his restlessness. These images and sounds seemed as if they would never go away.

The breathing and snorting of the creature brought Tim out of his light sleep. He propped himself up on his left elbow and rubbed his eyes wearily. He feared those sounds and images would haunt him until the day he died, which might be approaching very soon if they didn't get off of this ship.

A sudden unwelcome noise outside the sealed door sent a shudder through Tim's body down to his core. He looked over at where Gibbs was sleeping. The older man was wide awake and looked ready to spring at any moment if the need should arise. So he had heard it too.

Rough snorts and grunts seeped through the hopefully impenetrable door. They were quiet enough that the others didn't wake but they still reminded the two that were awake that the creature was still there, and waiting to strike.

After a final snort the sounds died away and there were just the quiet sounds of the ship and the gentle rocking of the waves. Tim gave his boss a glance before lying back down and letting his eyes flutter closed. This was going to be a long night.

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**Thanks for reading! Remember to R&R! Come back again when I have an update, which is hopefully soon. :)**


	5. Escape Plan

**Yay! Chapter 5! I had some time to work on it but I won't be able to for a while I fear. Please bear with me! Enjoy!**

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**Sunlight seemed nonexistent because of the thick clouds and fog that encompassed the ship. The morning was gray and brought with it rain. One of the doors on the deck was cracked open. Rain drops speckled the creature's dark red and black feathers as well as the black and green crest of long, elegant feathers that lined its neck and the top of its head. Lightening crackled through the clouds above and shed an eerie white-blue light on the shimmering feathers of the beast as it stalked back into the bowels of the Black Raptor.

* * *

Gibbs was the first up that morning. His agents along with Ducky were still asleep and he was willing to allow that. Yesterday had been a hard day and not to mention a hinky one. That creature snorting last night at their door helped that fact in no way. His gaze shifted from that of the tan wall to Tim, who had unconsciously tucked his arm against his chest. Yes, he was a hard and sometimes mean boss at times but seeing one of his agents hurt made him feel truly sorry for him or her.

"What I wouldn't do for a cup of Earl Gray tea," Ducky said as he sat up in his bunk and stood.

"Mornin' Duck," Gibbs greeted in a rather sour tone. He didn't mean to sound so grumpy but this situation didn't help his mood or his blood pressure.

"Jethro, I know that you're worried," Ducky noted as he rummaged through a bag for some of the food supplies they had brought aboard.

"My team is in danger and one of them is injured," Gibbs said gruffly as he stood from where he was sitting. "And I have no idea what that thing out there is."

"Perhaps we should find the fellow who is still on this ship," Ducky suggested. "This ship is still moving and heading back to the coast so a captain or at least someone must still be onboard. If anything, they'd know what that ghastly creature is and what it's doing on this vessel."

"Only problem is that beast is still out there," Gibbs pointed out and rubbed his tired blue eyes. "We heard it last night, me and Tim. It's waiting for us to come out so it can finish what it started."

Tim woke up when he heard his boss and Ducky discussing what the next move should be. He sat up and shifted his legs around so his feet were touching the floor. His hair was a bit disheveled as well as the jeans and t-shirt he slept in. All the agents had slept in their clothes, in fact. It was just in case they had to jump up and run in the middle of the night.

"Timothy, how's your arm?" Ducky asked once he saw that the young agent was awake.

"Stiff, a bit sore," Tim answered as he stood and stretched. The bunks weren't all that comfortable but they were better than the floor.

"And I'm afraid it will be for a while, my dear boy," Ducky frowned and then walked over to Tim. "I want to take a look at. I want to make sure there's no infection, only god knows what was under that creature's claws."

Tim nodded as the M.E. gingerly unwrapped the cloth bandage around his arm. The fresh air stung a bit but it was nothing too serious. The scratches were a very fleshy pink color but otherwise didn't look infected at all. There was no puss or any sign that the bleeding hadn't stopped.

"Well I think it's healing nicely but only time will tell," Ducky said as he began to wrap the bandage back around Tim's arm.

"That's good, I guess," Tony said suddenly as he rolled over and let his arm flop over the edge of the bunk, nearly smacking Tim in the head.

"Watch it, Tony," Tim grumbled as he moved out of the way as the senior field agent landed on the floor and pulled his SIG out from under his pillow.

"How'd you sleep with your arm, McGee?" Tony asked as he lifted his partner's bandaged arm up.

"Not very good," Tim pulled his arm from Tony's grasp. "Especially considering that the creature was scouting out our door last night."

"It was?" Tony's green eyes went wide. "I didn't hear it."

"You snored like a bear, Tony," Tim pointed out, earning himself a slap on the back of his head.

"That was not me," Tony corrected and pointed to the bunk above Tim's. "That was Ziva."

"I do not snore like a boar," the Israeli grumbled as she slid from her bed and landed neatly in front of Tony.

"McGee said a bear but a boar works just as well," Tony chuckled as he got a glare that could cripple and devour his soul.

"Bear or boar, it doesn't matter because I do not believe you," Ziva crossed her arms over her chest and took on a defensive stance.

"You snored like this," Tony flopped his head to the side and made a horrendous sound that sounded like a very angry bear. "Or maybe it's more like this," he switched sides and made a sound that resembled something closer to a buzz saw.

After that round of snoring ended another began. It sounded deep and rough yet had the faint tinge of a sound close to a purr mixed in it as well. Gibbs turned and looked at his senior field agent.

"That one sounded closest," the silver haired man decided.

"That wasn't me, boss," Tony's eyes were wide and looking around the small room suspiciously.

All the others froze in their spots, as if glue were attaching them to the floor. The sound came again, this time rougher and more agitated. A bird mixed with a boar sounding like squeal followed. All these terrifying sounds were seeping from the cracks in the door.

"It's back," Gibbs growled as he secured his SIG and cocked it. "We have to find another way out before…"

He trailed off as the five of them heard a squeaking sound that was eerily close to the sound a metal door makes when being opened. Sure enough, the thought to be impenetrable door was rocking on its hinges, being pulled open from the other side.

"We have to move, now!" Gibbs ordered as his agents got prepared for whatever escape route their boss had planned out. "We can use the ventilation shafts to crawl out and hopefully be long gone before that thing gets in here. We'll head for the bridge where the captain or hopefully somebody is still piloting this ship."

"On it boss!" Tony stood on his tiptoes and pulled out his knife. As quick as humanly possible he pried the vent off of the shaft, letting it clatter onto the floor rather noisily.

"I'll go first then Ziva," Gibbs ordered as he shoved a backpack up into the vent and pulled himself up into the shaft. "Then Ducky followed by McGee and DiNozzo you'll be at the end."

"Why me?" Tony squeaked as the Israeli followed the silver haired man.

"Now DiNozzo!" the irritated call echoed oddly in the shaft.

"Yeah boss," Tony secured his SIG, making sure it wouldn't go off while they were crawling in the vents. He jumped as a particularly ticked off snarl came from the now bent door. The creature's nose was pushing through one of the cracks, its nostrils flaring. "Move! Move, move, move!"

"I can only go so fast Tony," Tim grunted as he disappeared into the vents before the others got too far ahead.

"Yeah, yeah," Tony hefted himself up after his partner and stayed as close as he could behind him.

An ear shattering screech came from the room all of them were just in. A series of irritated clicks and snarls followed.

"Holy crap!" Tony rammed into the back of Tim, causing them both to collapse. The beast's jaws snapped close mere inches where Tony's foot had been. "Can't you move faster McGee?"

"Not with this arm," Tim growled as he got back on his knees and continued forward.

Tony looked back at the opening to the shaft. The creature couldn't fit into the relatively small area, thank goodness. Its head blocked the opening and its jaws snapped in pure fury. He cringed at the sight of its teeth. Surprisingly they were fairly white but they were backwards facing and serrated. If that thing bit into anything or anyone with one jerk of its head it could possibly pull a limb clean off.

"Keep moving McGee," Tony whispered as they followed the echoes of their boss pretty dang far ahead of them. "How did Gibbs get so far ahead?"

"I have no idea," Tim grunted as he tried to keep up with the others.

* * *

The creature sat down, tucking itself into a position similar to that of a hen sitting on her eggs. It nuzzled the spot where one of the humans had shot it in the chest. No real damage had been done but it was enough to make the beast uncomfortable. Its feathers fluffed up as it waited for the humans to reappear. They'd have to come out of the vents sometime. For now, though, it was just going to sit in the cargo bay where the creature knew that another human that had been on the ship before was hiding.

* * *

"Boss, how much farther?" Tony called up, hoping that his voice would echo enough to catch up with Gibbs.

"We're pretty dang close to the bridge," came the reply, sounding a bit tired and irritated.

"Okay," Tony smiled weakly then frowned as the group continued to crawl. Everyone was tired and hungry and sore. It felt like they'd been in these shafts for days though it had been only about an hour. "How're you doing McGee?"

"Okay, I guess," Tim replied, surprised that Tony actually cared enough to ask. His partner was not that bad even though he could be pretty self-centered sometimes. When it really came down to it, he knew he could count on him.

"What I wouldn't do for a cheeseburger," Tony smacked his lips as he thought about all the junk food he liked to eat. "Or a burrito."

"Stuck in these vents with you after eating a burrito would be complete torture," Ziva called back from somewhere up ahead.

"That would be very bad, wouldn't it?" Tony furrowed his brow as that thought entered his mind. It would be funny yet it could possibly cause him along with the rest of his team to suffocate.

"Yes, it definitely would be," Tim said.

The group came to an abrupt halt, causing a domino effect as they ran into the back of the person in front of them. They heard Gibbs kick a vent a few times before it clattered to the floor.

"We there, boss?" Tony asked hopefully.

"Yeah, DiNozzo, we're here," the reply came back as the silver haired man dropped to the floor, followed quickly by Ziva.

One by one, they dropped to the floor and looked at the bridge of the ship. There were controls everywhere, various buttons and LEDs lighting up occasionally. Where the door was, or at least they assumed, chairs and other supplies were stacked up to make the only door impossible to open or even pry open.

"Who are you and what are you doing on my ship?" a voice called out.

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**Please remember to R&R! It makes me incredibly happy! Thanks for reading! :)**


	6. Island of Adisa Kifa

**Wow! It's been a while since I've updated this story! Well, here's chapter 6 so enjoy!**

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**"Special Agent Gibbs of NCIS and my team," Gibbs stepped forward towards the man.

"So, they did send someone out," the man crossed his arms, taking on a defensive stance. "I'm surprised you five survived."

"What is that thing?" Gibbs questioned, pointing to the barricaded door. "What is that monster out there?"

The man turned away, looking out over the foggy waves. Visibility was very limited, and the swells were reaching heights of fifteen to twenty-five feet. Rain pounded at the glass windows that overlooked the deck below and the ocean. He turned back to the team, a hardened expression on his face.

"That creature was created illegally," he said, looking down at the floor.

"Wait, you mean it was created?" Tony asked, stepping forward.

"I'm not liberty to tell you much more than that," he answered, his brown eyed gaze shifting from the floor back up to the NCIS team. "I'm not even supposed to know. Only our scientists were privy to what was going on."

"That thing tried to kill me and my team," Gibbs growled. "It almost killed one of my team!"

The man looked at them now questioningly. He spotted the young man with a cloth bandage around his right arm. Shaking his head with a pained expression, he started to pace.

"I can't believe you survived an attack from it," he looked back at them.

"Wasn't as easy as you thought," Tim replied, tucking his arm closer to his chest.

"Who are you?" Ziva questioned, slumping her backpack down onto the floor.

"Captain Allan Johnson," the man answered.

"We need to know what you know if we're going to get off this ship," Gibbs said, stepping closer to Allan.

"I could lose my job if I even mention what's going on at that island," Allan argued and turned his back to them.

"You could lose your life if you don't speak," Tony said, his voice being surprisingly menacing.

Allan seemed to consider this and returned his attention to them. His eyes were hardened and his features drawn into a tight line.

"If I tell you what was happening on that island you would never believe me," Allan warned as he took a seat in a chair at the consoles.

"Try me," Gibbs took a seat across him, his team staying back towards the ventilation shaft opening.

"It's an island called Island of Adisa Kifa," Allan began telling his story, leaning back in his chair. "It's a mix of African languages meaning 'grave death'."

"Sounds inviting," Tony mumbled from where he was leaning against the cool, steel wall.

"Looks even better," Allan said half-heartedly. "It's nothing but jungle at first glance. It's only about the size of the island of Cozumel down next to Mexico, so you'd never think that there's a base on it."

"Military?" Gibbs perked an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued.

"Heck if I know," Allan shrugged his shoulders. "It's a scientific research base as well as an experimental weapons base. What they all do on that god-forsaken island I do not want to know. All I know is that it's full of nasty things that I would not want to come face to face with."

"What kind of things?" Tim asked, crouching down on the floor.

"That creature is one of them," Allan replied, nodding to the blocked off door.

"Wait, you mean there's more than one?" Tony's eyes went wide. He had come within inches of losing his foot.

"From what I can gather," Allan sighed, rubbing his bleary eyes. "I've only been on the island a few times out of the many times that I've gone there."

"What do you take out there?" Gibbs narrowed his eyes.

"Food supplies, building material, chemicals, scientists; you name it and we probably haul it out to them," Allen answered. "We made a trip every four months. Takes about a week to get there and a week back."

"Long time," Ziva commented, crossing her arms across her chest and leaning up against the wall.

"Especially if the weather is like this," Allen motioned towards the storm raging outside. "I started doing this about six years ago."

"You've just been piloting the ship back and forth for over six years?" Gibbs asked.

"Exactly," he nodded. "Gets tiring, but every time I go out there there's something new. This last time they had set up an electric fence around the perimeter of the island. It was nearly twenty thousand volts running through the wires. What they were trying to keep in I had no idea at the time. Apparently it was the creature. As I look back now, I don't know how she got on the ship or even slipped out of her padlock and out the security gates."

"_She_?" Tim asked, his eyebrows rising up. "You mean that thing is a _she_?"

"Yep," Allan smirked, as if he found something about that amusing. "Anyways, she got on the ship and about a day later she killed off almost my entire crew. All I know is that I've got one man down in the cargo hold, hiding."

"Should you not have found him and brought him in here?" Ziva questioned, her gaze ice cold.

"That thing would've killed us both," Allan sighed sadly, running his fingers through his three inch brown hair. "I've been trying to keep radio contact with him but I haven't heard from him in a while."

"Was he a black man?" Ziva asked.

"No, he's tall and has an Australian accent," Allan looked away out towards the rough sea. "I just hope he's okay."

The radio clipped around Allan's belt suddenly came to life. He hurriedly removed it, knowing that only his friend could be calling him.

"Robert? Come in," Allan stood up as his heart did flip-flops in his chest.

"Allan, I'm trapped," the reply came in a ragged tone. "That raptor has me cornered between two crates."

"God, Robert," Allan wiped his forehead and started to pace. "Do you still have your gun?"

"Out of bullets," Robert answered as the sound of empty shells hitting the floor came over the radio. "She's trying to figure out how to get in between them."

"Robert, hang on," Allan ordered. "I'll come down there with some fire power."

"Don't, you'll get yourself killed," Robert growled. "I think I can…."

His reply was cut short by his sudden yelling. There was that horrid screeching followed by a quick snap. Then static filled the air.

"Oh God," Allan sank back down into his chair, his face cupped in his hands. "This is my fault."

"How could it be your fault?" Ziva walked towards him. "There was no way of you preventing the creature from getting on your ship."

"It just is," Allan straightened up, determination on his face.

"It feels like it is, but it's not," Tony added in.

Tim shook sleep away from his mind. The rocking of the ship was making him sick again yet it was lulling him to sleep. To keep his mind occupied he glanced around as his teammates and Allan talked about what to do next. He spotted a black backpack. His investigative instincts getting the better of him, he pulled it closer.

"What's this?" Tim asked himself aloud as he saw a flash of gray tucked in a towel. Slowly and carefully he pulled out the gray orb, holding it in his palm. "My God."

"What are you doing?" Allan stood up suddenly, his eyes locked on Tim. When he saw the egg, his face literally drained of color. "You shouldn't have done that."

"You stole eggs?" Tim stood up, still clutching the egg in his hand. "No wonder the creature is on the ship!"

"Not for the reason you think," Allan said slowly.

"You stole her eggs and now she's hunting for them!" Tim could barely contain his anger. From one man's greed over a hundred were slaughtered needlessly.

"And now she's going to hunt you," Allan stated eerily.

"What?" Gibbs and Tony both questioned, turning to Allan.

"He touched one of the eggs and now he has its scent on him," Allan replied simply. "I'm sorry. I didn't want for anybody to get hurt but now she's going to hunt you down every chance she gets because she'll think that you stole her eggs."

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**So, what do you think? I know it's a short chapter but I've barely had anytime to work on it with school and then I've been side tracked with "Glowing Angel". But please remember to R&R! It makes me happy! :)**


	7. Reasons

**Sorry this is such a short chapter but I've been having a brain fart on what to write next. But please enjoy! :)**

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**Tim blinked his eyes. For a few moments time seemed to slow down and become hazy. He heard a loud crack and turned his attention to Gibbs, who had just struck Allan across the face with fierce force. Time seemed to come back to normal speed as his boss rammed the man into the wall.

"What were you thinking, Captain Johnson?" Gibbs snarled in his face. He shoved his arm harder into Allan's chest and throat. "Because of you an entire crew will never see their families again! We may not get out of this hellhole alive because of your stupidity!"

"Look, I didn't mean for it to go this far," Allan choked out. "I only stole the eggs because my daughter needs intense medical care back home. I didn't have the money and I thought that if I took the eggs I'd be able to sell them."

"Don't give us your excuses!" Tony approached his boss and the captain. "We'll check out your story, but don't think that we'll let you off the hook."

"McGee, contact Abby and get her to run Captain Allan Johnson," Gibbs released his grip, letting the man drop to his knees and gasp for air.

"On in Boss," Tim carefully placed the gray egg back into the backpack and towel before pulling his own backpack closer. His mind still occupied on Allan's remarks about the egg, he deftly unzipped his pack and pulled his computer from it.

Tony snorted, crossing his arms and giving Allan his version of his boss's stare. The man looked up with a certain emotion in his eyes. This was going to be a long day until they would reach the coast. After they did, they could get some backup and destroy the beast running loose on the ship. That is, if they lived long enough to get back.

"Abby," Tim said, bringing Tony out of his staring competition with Allan. He turned to the computer techie, making his way to stand behind him so he could see the screen.

"Abby, we need you to run someone's name," Tony kneeled down behind Tim, looking at the screen as the Goth appeared. "We found the captain. His name is Allan Johnson."

"I'm running it as we speak," Abby turned back to the camera, looking at the two men. "How's your arm, Timmy?"

"Better," Tim replied. "It doesn't hurt as much as it did last night."

"That's good," Abby smirked, turning to her computers when a profile sprung up. "He's been in the Navy for six and a half years, is thirty-seven years old, and has no criminal record."

"Does it say anything about a daughter?" Gibbs questioned, coming over and letting Ziva watch the Allan.

"He has a daughter named Sarah Johnson who is living with her mother, Tina Johnson, here in DC. Is that all you wanted?" Abby scrunched up her brows as she read off the information.

"Does the daughter have any serious illnesses?" Tony asked.

"Um…." The Goth scrolled down through the information. "Yes, she has liver cancer, which I'm guessing is very bad since she's been in the hospital since January. That's nearly six months she's been in there, Gibbs."

"Thanks Abs," Gibbs looked at Allan, but refused to give him any sign of sympathy.

Tim closed his laptop, stowing it back in his bag. With a sigh he stood up and ran his fingers through his hair. As Gibbs and Tony returned to their interrogation of Allan, he leaned against the glass window that overlooked the deck of the ship. He let his gaze fall on random objects that were scattered on the deck. Almost everything was a dull gray or tan, with the exception of black lettering on some large crates. Nothing moved or stirred except for the few seagulls that had alighted on the flat surfaces to shelter from the storm. They would land and take off in lazy patterns, seeming to always circle back around to the spot where they had started.

In one swift move almost every seagull on deck launched into the air, finding higher perches to sit on. As Tim watched with curiosity, he soon saw why they had moved. Among the crates he saw a stiff tail sticking up. As it went down the creature it was attached to leapt on top of a crate, its nose to the ground as if it were searching for something.

"Tony, come here," Tim said quietly, motioning the older agent to join him. "There's the creature."

Tony's eyes went wide. Ziva was right; it was the spitting image of the Velociraptors from _Jurassic Park_. It was a little larger than the ones on the movie and held long fur-like feathers on its body. He did not know what was most attractive about the creature; the long, graceful feathers that formed a crest on its neck or the overall coloration. White feathers made the most of its underbelly while black was patched over its eyes, nose, and tail. The markings on its back and legs were most interesting. It looked as if the ribs beneath the creature's hide were outlined in black, giving it an almost skeletal look. The pattern on its legs and arms were too complicated that Tony did not know how to even begin to describe it.

"That thing is a beast," he patted Tim on the back. "I'm surprised you even lived to tell the tale, Probie."

"Knock it off, Tony," Tim shrugged his hand away and returned his gaze back to the creature.

She had lifted her head to the bridge. The feathers on her crest stood up like those of an aggressive dog. The scythe-like claws on her hind feet rose up in a striking position, and she looked straight at Tim.

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**So, what did you guys think? I know it's just a kind of filler chapter but I needed to post something. Please remember to R&R! Thanks for reading! :)**


	8. Trap

**So, this story is getting close to being done. This chapter starts the big fight!**

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Lightning lit up the sky in a spectacular display of white light, and the moment it disappeared the creature was gone. She was nowhere on the deck now amongst the shipping crates. She had simply vanished with the lightning.

"You okay, McGee?" Tony asked as his partner stumbled back into him. "I didn't think you were afraid of lightning and thunder."

"She was looking right at me," Tim whispered, his heart pounding within his ribcage. "It's like she knew I was in here."

"Is she still out there?" Tony pressed his face against the glass. There were no living beings, save for the seagulls, on the deck. Everything was as lonesome as when they had first arrived on the Black Raptor. "I think you're just getting paranoid."

"I'd be too if that thing attacked me," Allan piped up, leaning over in his chair and resting his chin on his folded hands.

"You," Tony pointed to him, "be quiet."

"It is your fault that she attacked us and even got on the ship in the first place," Ziva stated as she paced behind Allan.

"I know, I know," he cupped his face and took a deep breath. "I don't know if you believe me or not, but I am truly sorry that all of this happened."

Gibbs shook his head, crossing his arms. They had to figure out what to do next. If they docked that creature would most likely jump onto dry land the first chance it got. That would put several civilians in danger. If they did not put that thing out of commotion while they were on the ship then all hell would break loose.

"We have to kill it," Gibbs spoke finally, stating what was on his mind.

"Yeah, good luck with that," Allan glanced up. "She has super stiff armor plates beneath her hide that are practically bullet proof."

"That's why she did not drop when I shot her earlier," Ziva's eyes lit up. "But you managed to hit her beneath her eye."

"I can't believe that you guys actually were able to get a few hits in while she was attacking you," Allan raised his brows.

"It was not as easy as you are assuming," Ziva commented as she rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps, if were able to get a direct shot through the eye that would kill her."

"Have to be one hell of a shot, Ziva," Gibbs pointed out. "She moves her head too fast to get a clear lock on."

"Maybe a trap would take her out?" Ducky suggested. "If you could set up a trap to either kill her or at least keep her still while you put her down then that might be an effective method."

"What kind of trap would you set?" Tony inquired as he joined the conversation. "I just saw that thing, and she is a true blue, straight from the movies monster."

"A net trap may catch her," Ziva glanced at Tony and Gibbs for approval.

"Nah, she'd rip out of one of those with her claws easy," Gibbs shook his head. "I think that I might have an idea, but it means going outside down to the cargo hold."

* * *

The creature stopped and sniffed the air, her nostrils flaring as the scent of humans entered her sensitive nose. Her claws clinked quietly on the grating as she stalked down to the cargo hold where the scent trail was leading her. Something seemed wrong. The humans would not have come out of hiding since they now knew she was prowling in the bowels of the ship. Something was wrong indeed.

Unnatural light glinted off her dark red and black feathers as she lifted her head higher. Stacks of crates formed a maze around her, and her senses were pounded with the mechanical smell of the ship around her and the parts being delivered in the great wooden boxes.

A quiet moan to her left brought her closer to the man that had been hiding in the cargo hold earlier. The scent of blood flooded her nose, but by now it was something that she was used to. As she came closer, her eyes dilated to adjust to the dim light. Shadows cloaked the badly injured man, but her nocturnal eyesight could see him just fine. Tipping her head to the side like that of a bird, she analyzed the wounds she had caused in her first attack on him. There was a gouge running from his shoulder clear down to his hip that was still partially bleeding. One of his legs was broken, with the white bone sticking half way out through the muscle. Three identical scratches ran across his face and across his now missing eye. All in all, he was in great pain.

"No…no…get away from me…." He mumbled as she came closer, her scythe-like claws tapping curiously on the metal floor.

She dipped her head down next to his head, sniffing his hair and wounds. Lifting her head again she decided that he had not been around her eggs. Her eyes narrowed into slits as her temper flared. Those eggs had belonged to her; those were her chicks inside of them. She had to find them before one of the humans hurt them or they hatched. Tapping her killer claws in frustration she returned her attention back to the human lying at her feet.

"Please…don't hurt…me anymore…." He groaned as the raptor set a foot on his back. When he expected her to stab him with the claw on her foot, she did nothing. Instead he felt the creature's hot breath on the back of his neck as she slid her jaws around his skull. With a quick twist of her head, his neck snapped and ended his misery.

Standing up and not paying any more attention to the dead man, she stalked away to the heart of the cargo hold. Blood ran from the corners of her mouth as did a sticky concoction that made her saliva. Her lips pulled back from her multiple serrated teeth, revealing them to be of all sizes rather than all uniform like the raptors from dinosaur times had.

A familiar scent entered her nose. Immediately she turned towards the opened crate at the end of a row. Inside was a backpack that was bathed in the scent of the creature's eggs. Before she entered, however, she lifted her muzzle to collect the scents that surround the edges of the box. There was the smell of humans everywhere. Something was wrong and she knew it. Cautiously, she prowled towards the black bad. With her teeth she started to pull on the zipper, gradually unzipping it. Inside was one of her eggs. Without hesitation she turned to go find the other but the door slammed shut, efficiently locking her inside.

* * *

"We got her!" Tony called out. He snapped the locks in place and jumped down to the ground, landing neatly on his feet. With the help of Allan, he shoved an empty crate in front of the locked one and braced his body against it. "I can't believe that actually worked."

"Me neither," Allan huffed, a smile plastered across his face.

"Okay Boss, you can take the shot," Tony nodded to Gibbs who climbed on top of the crate with his SIG cocked and ready to go.

They had found a crate that had a small hole in the top of it big enough for the muzzle of a gun to fit through when they had decided to set this trap. Tim and Ziva were perched on boxes at the end of the rows with their guns at the ready in case the creature did manage to break out. Ducky was in the bridge for safety, just in case this plan went downhill.

"Ready!" Gibb stood above the small hole and aimed down. In the dark he could catch flashes of dark red feathers on her body and vibrant green on the creature's feathery crest. When he saw the gold of her eye he took the shot.

"Did you get her?" Tim called out.

"I don't know," Gibbs could not hear her anymore but that did not mean anything. He peered down through the hole, careful not to get too close. If he did get her, she must have dropped down in the dark shadows.

"Well, how can we tell if she's dead?" Tony questioned, standing back to stare up at his boss.

Before he could answer, there was a shrill screech and giant crack as the creature rammed into the door with her full two thousand pounds of muscle. The crate blocking the door moved back, nearly crushing Tony and Allan if they had not jumped out of the way. They looked up in horror as the creature stood and shook herself of wood splinters. In the dim light, they could clearly see her in her full glory.

She held a couple scars on her hide. Three ran across her left eye as if she had gotten into a fight with another creature; one tore across her right thigh; and the freshest of them all was the deep score under her right eye from the first time Gibbs had shot her.

"Get out of here!" Gibbs yelled at his frozen agents. "Lock down the cargo hold and get back up to the bridge now!"

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**Please remember to R&R! Thanks for reading! :)**


	9. Death is Close

**So here's the second to final chapter! Please enjoy! This one is very violent and gorey. :)**

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Tim jumped down from the crate, practically hitting the ground running. The rough, coughing call of the creature hurt his ears as he ran to the closest way out. He was not a coward, but he did not have a death wish to stay in the cargo hold with the murderous beast.

There was yelling and screaming from his teammates that mixed horrifyingly with the battle calls of the creature. Everything passed by him in a blur as he ran. He heard a few shots echo sharply and hoped that everyone was okay. Just a few more moments and he would be at the door. After that he would radio everyone to see if they were out and then proceed to lock down the entire area. Just a few more yards and he would be safe.

There was a force like no other that slammed into him in the form of a flying tackle. Tim yelped and struggled to get up before a hand gripped his wrist. When he looked up at the face of the person, he realized that it was Tony who had tackled him.

"What are you doing?" Tim cried.

"Saving your sorry butt," Tony whispered, cupping his hand over his partner's mouth.

The creature was walking on top of the crates, looking down the aisles and tapping her claws in anger. Tony pulled Tim up against the side of a crate just as the raptor jumped from the crate a row over to the one they were pressed up against. She snorted and moved on, thankfully.

"Thanks Tony," Tim pulled Tony's hand from his mouth and took in a deep breath.

"Yeah, no problem," Tony smirked.

The two agents jumped when they heard the blood curdling scream of Allan. Together they stood up and sneaked around the side of the crate with their guns drawn. As they peered around the corner they spotted the man as well as the creature.

She stood over him, tapping her killer claws menacingly on the cold metal floor. He scooted back in fear, spitting out all sorts of pleas. They were all just a murmur to her as she lifted one foot and slashed her claw.

Tony gagged and Tim had to turn his head away. Allan's abdomen was ripped open, his guts falling out into his hands. He was still alive and crying in pain and fear. When he heard a gurgle growl Tim turned back to the horror movie taking place before him.

The creature shoved the man over with a kick to the chest from one of her powerful back legs. Her eyes narrowed to barely visible slits as Allan pathetically tried to crawl away. She laid one of her feet on his back, pulling her claw back like it was spring loaded. With a sound that could only be compared to a roar from deep in her chest she dug the scythe-like claw into Allan's back. He screamed as she did it again and again until it looked as if her claw would be stained with blood forever.

"Oh God," Tony covered his mouth to keep from puking as he heard several bones snap.

She snarled as she dug her claw in one last time before dragging it down the length of the man's back. Several of his ribs cracked and snapped beneath the pressure of the tremendous weight she was pushing on him. As she opened her jaws gooey saliva dripped from her serrated teeth and her blue tongue striped with dark green. This man reeked with the scent of her eggs. He was definitely the one who had stolen her precious eggs. She had one but there was still one missing. If she did not find the missing egg she would kill every remaining person on the ship to avenge it. With a loud screech, she bit down on Allan's neck, twisting her head this way and that way until there was hardly any flesh left on the body but was hanging from her teeth instead.

Tim turned away, his stomach in an absolute whirlpool. He felt like he was going to vomit from all the blood and gore that he had just seen take place. Allan had stolen the eggs, which was wrong, but no person alive should have to suffer through that sadistic death that he had.

"C'mon, we need to go now," Tony nudged him and the two started to back trace their steps to the door without alerting the creature of their presence.

They were almost to the door. Just a few more yards and they would be clear of the creature. Even if she spotted them they could bolt and make it to the door. What they were not counting on was an ambush.

The creature jumped from one of the crates, landing directly between the two agents. She snapped and snarled, flinging saliva in every direction. Her nostrils flared as the scent of her eggs entered her senses. Immediately her glare turned from Tony to Tim. She let out a rough call, making both men start running in different directions.

Tim ran as hard as he could. He had seen it in her eyes; she had smelled her eggs on him. Allan had said that she would hunt him if she smelled any hint of her eggs on him. Now the creature was running as fast as her two powerful legs could carry her. There was no escape, seeing as he was running away from the door.

He cried out as he felt something hard ram him from behind. Tim crashed to the floor, quickly turning around and sitting up. His nose was mere inches from the snout of the creature. Scrabbling backwards as fast as he could, he backed himself up into a crate. _I am so dead._

She looked into the fear filled, blue eyes of the young man. Slowly she lowered her muzzle down, inhaling his scent. There were only faint traces of the scent of her eggs, but he had still been around them. She touched his forehead, shifting her muzzle back and forth as she got a good look at Tim. Carefully, she parted her jaws and pulled back her lips.

Tim stood as still as a statue, afraid to do anything else. The creature had not killed him yet and maybe she would not. He highly doubted that he would live, but there was nothing wrong with dreaming. As she pulled back her lips and revealed all of her serrated teeth, he cringed.

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Gibbs stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a panicked cry from his youngest agent. Turning on his heel quicker than a snake, he ran back in the direction of the scream. He about careened into Tony as the senior field agent came peeling out from the side of one of the crates. Ziva had caught up to them and was drawing her weapon when they came to a terrifying scene.

Tim was not moving. He was motionless and limp. What was even more frightening was that the raptor had rolled him on his side with his back towards his team and placed one of her feet on his side. She leaned down over his still body so she was standing on her arms as well, pulling her lips back and growling. It was almost as if she was telling them that he was her kill.

"McGee, answer me!" Gibbs called out, not getting a response. His heart clenched in his chest as he feared the worst.

"McGee!" Ziva practically cried.

"Probie, you better not be dead!" Tony yelled. He felt a tear slide down his cheek, not even caring to wipe it away. His heart plummeted into a dark, bottomless pit as the silence became louder and louder. Then a miracle happened.

"I'm…alive…." Tim mumbled quietly, his chest rising subtly under the creature's foot.

"Thank you for not being dead," Tony smirked, but it soon faded away as the creature lowered her claw in warning.

"Hey, get away from him!" Gibbs barked at the raptor.

She turned her head towards him, hissing in response. The sticky saliva dripped from her jaws, plopping on the floor in small puddles. Her green flecked, golden eyes stared at them from black patches. She was breathing heavy, her nostrils flared and her mouth was partway opened. Then everything happened in high speed.

Someone screamed as she lunged forward and a shot rang out. The three agents split up in different directions, only one being followed by the raptor. Tony turned and fired his SIG several times, using all of the bullets in the magazine. He tossed the now useless gun aside as the creature got closer. She flicked her head to the side, smacking the side of his face.

"Owe!" Tony clutched the side of his face. There was pain each time his heart beat, which was very fast by now.

The creature tapped one of her claws as she got ready to strike. She crouched down, the muscles in her legs tensing and bunching up. Her jaws opened up and before she jumped she roared, which was a heart stopping sound. A bullet hit her in the thigh, which halted her attack. She turned on her haunches, snarling at the shooter. Tony glanced around her and saw Tim with his SIG aimed directly at her.

Another shot rang out; this time from Tony's left. He looked and saw Ziva, calling to the creature in Hebrew. With a gurgled call, the raptor turned away from him and chased after the Israeli.

"Thanks for saving my butt, McGee," Tony smirked.

Tim just nodded.

"Hey, Tim, are you okay?" Tony approached his friend carefully and with great apprehension. Was it Tim who had screamed at the beginning of the fight? His partner had his hand wrapped around his side, and now that he was closer, Tony could see blood leaking between his fingers. "Tim!"

"Tony," Tim clenched his teeth together, falling into the older man.

"Tim, let me see," Tony gently brushed away the fallen man's hand, gasping at the jagged wound. He kneeled down, Tim's head resting against his chest. Shedding his coat, he wadded it up into a pillow and laid Tim's head on it while he applied pressure to the wound. "Don't die on me now! So help me, if you die now I'll kill you!"

"Doesn't make any sense," Tim mumbled as he cringed as Tony pressed down on the gouge. A few tears leaked from his closed eyes as the wound became a major epicenter of a fierce pain.

"Tim, stay with me," Tony whispered as his partner's face started to lose color.

"Hurts really bad," he groaned, his hands balling into fists. His breathing became shallower as the time continued to tick by. "Tony…."

"Yeah, I'm still here," Tony looked worriedly at Tim.

"Tell Abby that I loved her," Tim whispered, lolling his head to the side.

"Tell her yourself! Tim, stay with me!" Tony pressed two bloody fingers under his chin, thankful that he felt a faint pulse. He unclipped the radio from his belt, keeping pressure on his partner's side with one hand. "Gibbs, Tim is down! He's really bad, he's got a nasty scratch on his side and I can't get it to stop bleeding."

"I hear ya," Gibbs grumbled before a couple shots rang out.

Tony heard the shots both through the radio and in the cargo hold itself. He heard Ziva yelling something to their boss and then he heard the most wonderful sound yet.

"She's dead!"

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**Please remember to R&R! Thanks for reading! :)**


	10. Safe

**Here's the final chapter! Please excuse my lameness for ending it so soon but I could not think of any way to make it go one longer. Sorry. :P**

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Nurses stood aside in the halls of the hospital. They had seen this Goth many times before and knew better than to interrupt her when she was on a mission. Right now she looked very frazzled, which was a good hint that she would run over anybody in her way.

"Timothy McGee," Abby basically crashed into the nurse's station.

"Uh…room 231," the nurse pointed down the hallway.

"Thanks," Abby nodded before taking off towards the room. She feared what was going to be on the other side as she gently pushed open the door.

Gibbs and the team had been rescued off the ship by a helicopter they managed to call in. When she first heard this she had been excited to see them again. That was when she had gotten the bad news. Tim was in critical condition, his heart having stopped twice. He was on a one way course to the hospital. Abby had practically run out of her lab, just about running over Palmer and Director Vance in the process. There had been heavy traffic, seeing as it had been five o'clock and all the people at work were trying to get home. She did not know whether or not her horn would work again for she had wailed on it so much trying to get to the hospital so fast. She had also received quite a few birdies which she returned. All in all, it had taken nearly three hours to get there.

Now as she walked into the room she saw Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva sitting in chairs around the bed Tim was on. Tony's head was tilted back and he was snoring slightly while Ziva stood up to greet her.

"Oh Ziva, I was so worried about you guys," Abby hugged her tight.

"We are fine now, Abby," Ziva said soothingly.

"Gibbs!" Abby turned to him. He held up a finger to his lips, nodding to Tim who was sleeping. "Sorry. I missed you so much and I was so worried about you!"

"I missed you too, Abs," Gibbs stood to give her a hug, which she gratefully accepted.

"What, I don't get a hug?" Tony roused from his partial sleep, standing and stretching. "I hate sleeping in hospital chairs."

"Tony!" Abby wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. "I can't believe this happened."

She turned to Tim, sitting on the edge of his bed. The color had returned to his face and his heart was beating normally again, to which all of them were thankful for. She slipped her hand in his limp one, gently rubbing her thumb across his knuckles.

"What did you tell the doctors when they asked what happened?" Abby inquired as she glanced at the other agents.

"We said they were transporting a lion illegal and it got loose," Tony shrugged his shoulders.

"A lion was your excuse?" she perked a brow in question. "That's totally lame, guys."

"Did you want us to tell them it was a biological weapon in the form of a dinosaur brought back to life?" Tony smirked as the Goth contemplated this.

"Good point," Abby nodded. "I still don't believe it myself."

"Here's some proof," Gibbs took her hand and set a serrated, white object in it.

"Is this a tooth?" Abby looked up, her voice raising an octave.

"Yeah," Gibbs stood up from the chair and walked towards the door. "I'm going to go get some coffee."

"How'd he get this?" Abby peered at the tooth, carefully examining it in her hands.

"When he killed it, he shot it right in the mouth," Ziva explained. "A few of its teeth came out and I guess he was thinking of you."

"This is so cool!" Abby smiled but it faded quickly. "Is this what hurt Tim?"

"No," Tony shook his head. "It was that scythe-like claw on the creature's foot."

"Ouch," Abby cringed.

"I'm going to go with Gibbs," Tony yawned, following his boss out the door with Ziva right behind him.

Abby kept turning the tooth over in her hands, staring in wonder. This was so cool yet at the same time so sad. Tim had nearly died from the creature attacking him. That made her mad and sad at the same time. She was mad that something had tried to kill her best friend and sad that he had nearly been killed.

"Oh Timmy, why did you have to go off and get yourself almost killed?" Abby asked aloud, still gazing at the pearly tooth in front of her face.

"Because it's my job."

Abby jumped, surprised by the quiet yet calming voice. She turned around and saw Tim looking at her with his blue eyes. He smirked a little at her surprised face. Then she practically fell on top of him.

"Ah, be careful," Tim scooted over, making sure he did not reopen his stitch wounds.

"Sorry, but I was so worried about you!" Abby wiped a tear away from her eye, effectively smudging her black makeup.

"I know," Tim murmured and placed a hand on top of her head as she laid it on his chest. "I'm okay now."

"I'm so happy that you are," Abby sniffled.

"Shhh, I'm okay Abby," Tim stroked her soft, black hair that had fallen from her pigtails. "It's okay. I'm here with you now, and I always will be."

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Gibbs halted in the hallway as he was approached by Director Vance. He leaned against one of the whitewashed walls of the hospital, chewing on his ever present toothpick.

"I'll need the full story," he said simply.

"Yeah, I know," Gibbs sipped on his steaming coffee.

"I got a call from the teams that were securing the Black raptor," Vance stated, pulling the toothpick from his lips.

"And?" Gibbs immediately sensed in his gut that something was wrong.

"They found no trace of a creature onboard the ship, save for the bodies," he replied.

"What about the backpacks with the eggs in them?" Gibbs questioned, his blood pressure rising. "We told your teams where to find them."

"They found the backpacks," Vance reassured, holding up his hands. "But the eggs were gone. Both of them."

"And the creature's gone too?" Gibbs sighed, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Yep," Vance stuck the toothpick back in between his teeth. "Looks like someone else beat us there."

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**So, what did you think of my ending? If I get enough positive feedback I may make a sequel...**


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